To understand how Patrick Mahomes, 23, could remain so composed on his rocket-ship rise to stardom is to know his family's history when it comes to big games and the poise required to win them.
Nearly two decades before Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs started preparing to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, Mahomes' father, Pat, was as nervous as a pitcher could be while waiting for that phone to ring in the New York Mets' bullpen. But once it did ring, and once the caller requested his services, everything changed.